Attorney General James Wins Temporary Restraining Order Protecting Youth Mental Health Services

July 28, 2026

NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from terminating federal funding supporting school-based mental health programs and providers:

"For the second time, we stopped this administration from illegally stripping mental health care away from students who need it most. This order protects the counselors, social workers, and psychologists that schools across New York rely on to keep kids safe and supported. Children's mental health should never be subject to political games. My office will keep fighting to make sure every student has access to the care they need and that Congress guaranteed."

Attorney General James and a coalition of 14 other attorneys general sued the U.S. Department of Education earlier this month after the administration attempted to terminate grants that help schools hire mental health professionals, despite a permanent injunction entered in 2025, which blocked the policy underlying these terminations. Today's order temporarily preserves New York's access to millions of dollars in funding for in-school mental health services.